UFC 215: Demetrious Johnson tries to make history

Rudi Schuller

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UFC 215: Demetrious Johnson tries to make history image

Less than a month after a UFC fighter was involved in one of the biggest boxing matches in recent memory, another one will try to make some history of his own inside the Octagon.

Demetrious Johnson will go for his 11th straight title defence when he takes on Ray Borg in a flyweight championship match at UFC 215 in Edmonton on Saturday. If successful, Johnson will take sole possession of the record for most consecutive title defences in UFC history — an accolade he currently shares with MMA legend Anderson Silva.

Standing in Johnson's way is Ray Borg, the 24-year-old with a 5-2 UFC record that was, despite the company's frustration, the champion's first choice of opponent for this bout.

UFC 215: When, Where, Fight Schedule and How to Watch

The other title fight on the card features UFC bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes taking on Valentina Shevchenko. The bout is a rematch of a UFC 196 clash in 2016, which Nunes won by unanimous decision.

Nunes and Shevchenko were originally scheduled to headline UFC 213 in July, but the contest was cancelled just hours before the event. Nunes withdrew due to illness despite UFC president Dana White's claim that she had medical clearance to fight, which drew criticism from fans and media.

“Honestly, I don’t really worry about what people think,” Nunes said told reporters last week. “I’m a fighter. I’ve trained my whole life for this. I’m a fighter, and I will keep training. Whatever happens, I will keep doing the same thing that I do right now – training, fight. Whatever people’s opinions are about me (doesn’t matter).”

The event will see another women's bantamweight bout in the preliminary card, as Sara McMann takes on Ketlen Vieira. Filling out the rest of the main card is a welterweight clash between Neil Magny and Rafael dos Anjos, a light heavyweight contest with Ilir Latifi taking on Tyson Pedro, and a featherweight bout between Jeremy Stephens and Gilbert Melendez.

UFC 215 is the promotion's first event in Edmonton.

Rudi Schuller